Since launch, our vision for Chromebooks has been to bring the simplicity, flexibility and affordability of cloud computing to the personal computer. Auto-updates, the Chrome management console, and browser sync have brought us closer. Today, we’re bringing the cloud model to the hardware itself by trialing a Chromebook rental program, in conjunction with financing partner CIT.

Imagine you’re setting up shop for a local political campaign and will have an influx of new, temporary workers. You can rent a Chromebook for each worker for the next few months, and return them when the campaign is over. Chromebooks meet the needs of most workers, making this rental program a great option for companies with seasonal workers, larger organizations who want to pilot Chromebooks, fast-growing startups and any company looking to preserve cash.

Organizations in the US can rent a new Chromebook starting at $30 per month or rent a Chromebox starting at $25 per month. Rentals are month-to-month, and there’s no long-term commitment. The rental includes Chrome hardware with 3-year limited warranty, the web-based Chrome management console to centrally set-up and control users, devices and apps, and 24/7 support. And the monthly payments actually decrease the longer you keep the device.

If you’re a Google Apps business customer, today we’re also making it possible for you to purchase up to 10 Chromebooks – including web-based user, device and app management – online from Google. You can manage your fleet of Chromebooks right from the Apps control panel, giving you a unified view across your organization and enabling you to get users up and running quickly.

We’re seeing some great uses for Chromebooks in business and government:

School of Rock, a music school with over 90 locations, has adopted Chromebooks to reduce the costs, administrative overhead, security and reliability issues that came with managing traditional PCs at remote sites.

And the City of Palo Alto library system has pioneered an innovative new program where patrons can checkout Chromebooks for a week, just like a library book. Given shrinking budgets, this initiative was only possible due to Chromebooks' ease of use and minimal maintenance needs.

We’re excited to see how the next wave of Chromebook customers puts their devices to use and hope that the flexible rental and online purchase options make it even easier for you to bring Chrome devices to your organization.